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[dramatic music]
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- As atomic fear grips the world
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and the Cold War ramps up,
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a well-dressed man is found
dead on an Australian beach.
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♪ ♪
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- There's no clear
cause of death,
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nothing to identify him.
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Who is this guy?
And what was he up to?
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Could he have been a criminal
or a secret agent or worse?
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- Neither the FBI nor
Britain's MI5 know who he is.
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Tonight, the top theories
surrounding a mystery
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that's obsessed an army
of sleuths for 70 years.
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- Is he a spy?
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- Was it self-inflicted
or was he poisoned?
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- Was he part
of a criminal organization?
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- The whole thing reads
like--like a movie script.
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- Can new evidence
solve the case
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to finally answer
who is the Somerton man
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and how did he die?
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[dramatic music]
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♪ ♪
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Just three years
after the end of World War II,
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tensions between
the Soviet Union
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and its former allies
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lead to a blockade of
all land routes to West Berlin
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and an all-out effort
to airlift supplies
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to its stricken citizens.
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- People in the west
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are shocked and frightened
by this.
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Communist countries like
the Soviet Union in Eurasia
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and Mao Zedong in China
seem scarily impressive.
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Will there be another war?
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Another nuclear attack?
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In response,
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stories about spies,
traders, double agents
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spring up everywhere.
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Fishburne: The small city
of Adelaide, Australia
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is no different.
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Situated just 500 miles
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from the nation's top secret
atomic testing site,
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the city is quietly on alert.
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♪ ♪
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At first, nothing seems unusual
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when 16-year-old Neil Day
and a friend
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spot a man
who appears to be napping
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by a cliff on Somerton Beach.
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- Now, in Australia,
it's the southern hemisphere,
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so it's summertime
in the wintertime months here.
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And so, this is nothing new.
It's hot out.
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A lot of people will sleep
on the beach.
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So they continue on their ride.
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Fishburne:
But as the pair pass by again,
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they notice something alarming.
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The man isn't moving.
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- He's still
in the same position,
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so they dismount,
they go up to check him.
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And then, at that point,
they know he's dead.
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Another bystander comes up:
Jack Lyons.
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He's a local jeweler.
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Jack takes control
of the situation and he says,
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"I'll take care of this.
I'll notify the police."
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And that's exactly what he does.
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And that's about 6:00 a.m.
to 6:30 in the morning.
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- So when the police arrive
at the scene,
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they do a cursory inspection of
the crime scene and the body.
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And they notice that this man
is lying in the beach
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but sitting up with his back
lean against the seawall.
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They see that he's well-dressed.
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There's no evidence
of alcohol or drugs around,
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and there's no obvious signs
of wounds or violence.
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- Most often, when
we find a body on the beach,
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it's a victim of drowning.
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The body is washed ashore,
and that's not the case.
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He was completely dry.
His shoes were dry.
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Looks like he just maybe
lay there to take a rest
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and didn't wake up.
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- The next step would be
to identify the man
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and then notify the next of kin,
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but in this case,
they can't do that
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because he has absolutely
no ID on him at all.
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He has no wallet of any kind.
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And moreover--
And this is where this case
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initially gets very strange
right from the beginning--
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All of the labels
on his clothing
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were intentionally removed,
as is they were clipped out.
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♪ ♪
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At this point,
the investigators are asking,
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"Who is this guy?"
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They have no answers
on his identity.
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Fishburne:
With little to go on,
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police catalog
the man's belongings.
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- They find
a unused train ticket.
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They find a bus ticket from
Adelaide to Somerton Beach.
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They find a pack of chewing
gum, a pack of matches,
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a comb,
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and they find a box
of Army Club cigarettes.
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So all of these things
are ordinary things
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that you would find
on any person,
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but the pack of cigarettes
are interesting
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because Army Club
is a very cheap brand.
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And inside the box of cigarettes
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were seven cigarettes
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of a much more expensive brand
called Kensitas.
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♪ ♪
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Fishburne: The body is taken
to the Royal Adelaide Hospital
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for further examination.
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- So a Dr. Barkley Bennett
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performs a post-mortem
on the body.
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It's an initial look-through
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without going too deep
into taking samples
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and opening the body up
to find the cause of death.
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Back then,
not everybody has an autopsy.
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- The initial examination
of his body
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reveals some things about him.
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He's about 5'11".
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He weighs about 165 to 175.
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And he's between
40 and 50 years old
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in incredibly good shape.
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Also, his hands
are not calloused in any way,
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suggesting that he wasn't
a manual laborer of any sort.
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- One of the other things
they notice right away
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is that he's got
these extremely large calves,
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and the muscles are high.
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Like a ballet dancer,
he's got tuned legs.
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♪ ♪
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Fishburne:
Nothing seems strange
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and there's no obvious sign
of foul play.
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- So their theory is,
is that he went to lay down,
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maybe didn't feel well,
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laid up against the rocks
and passed away in his sleep.
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- Preliminarily,
the cause of death
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is thought to be heart failure.
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♪ ♪
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[flatlines]
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Fishburne:
But after six weeks,
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authorities still
can't ID the corpse,
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and that raises questions.
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- Detective suspect that there
may be a lot more to learn
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about this man
and the way he died.
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Fishburne:
They start to wonder,
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is he from some place
outside Australia?
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And, if so, why is he here?
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- All English-speaking countries
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are given a post-mortem photo
and a set of fingerprints,
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but nobody can find a match.
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There's no police records
for this man.
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There are no military records
for this man.
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Nothing matches.
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- In fact,
J. Edgar Hoover,
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who was the director
of the FBI at the time,
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sends a memo back
to Australian police,
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telling them that they have no
match for those fingerprints.
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Fishburne:
Police appeal to the public
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for help identifying the body.
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- At this point
in the investigation,
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the locals have given
this man a nickname,
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the Somerton Man,
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referencing the beach
where he was discovered.
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An eye witness comes forward.
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He and his wife claim that
they were walking on the beach
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the night before,
on November 30th,
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and they observed him about
7:00 p.m. lying on the beach.
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The Somerton Man supposedly
raised his right arm,
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as if to light his cigarette
or wave,
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and then it fell back
to the beach.
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♪ ♪
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- And then, there's another
couple that saw the man,
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although they didn't
really see his face.
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One thing they did notice,
though,
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is that he seemed
to have polished, nice shoes,
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and they didn't seem like shoes
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that belonged to somebody who'd
be walking along the beach.
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♪ ♪
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Fishburne: A timeline
of the man's final hours
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slowly starts to form.
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- Because of the tickets
in his pocket,
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we know that he arrived
around 11:00 a.m. in Adelaide.
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Then, he took a bus
to the Somerton area,
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where he's seen again
by our witnesses at 7:00 p.m.
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So there's a large part
of his afternoon
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and his whereabouts
that are not accounted for.
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As an investigator,
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it's very frustrating to have
this collection of clues
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and evidence
and eyewitness accounts
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and really be no closer
to any substantive answers.
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At this point, they don't
even know who this man is.
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But then, the investigators
catch a huge break.
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♪ ♪
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Fishburne:
On January 14th 1949,
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authorities
at Adelaide Railway Station
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realize a suitcase
has been there for weeks.
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- The suitcase was checked in
on November 30th
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and remained unclaimed.
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They give it over to the police,
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who start looking through it,
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and that's when they find
some additional clues,
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which now makes them think
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that maybe
there's some connection
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to the Somerton Man.
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Fishburne: What's inside the
suitcase is odd and alarming.
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- The labels on all the
clothing inside the suitcase
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have also been removed,
just like the Somerton Man,
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with the exception
of one yellow shirt
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that still had the tags on it,
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as if it had
just been purchased.
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There's a quantity
of orange linen thread,
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the same type of orange thread
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that was used
to sew on his buttons
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and mend a pocket
inside his trousers.
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- And the thread
that was in the case,
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00:09:15,722 --> 00:09:19,224
they believe is the same one
used to repair the jacket.
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00:09:19,375 --> 00:09:21,451
This makes a direct connection
to the Somerton Man
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00:09:21,544 --> 00:09:22,894
and the suitcase that was found.
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00:09:23,121 --> 00:09:24,804
♪ ♪
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Fishburne: The suitcase also
raises additional questions.
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00:09:28,143 --> 00:09:29,734
- This orange linen thread
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00:09:29,886 --> 00:09:32,312
was not available in Australia
at the time.
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It was available
in the United States.
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00:09:34,575 --> 00:09:37,483
So this poses the question:
was the man American,
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00:09:37,578 --> 00:09:40,470
or did he at least travel
through America at one point?
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Also discovered
inside the suitcase
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was an electrician screwdriver,
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00:09:45,234 --> 00:09:48,253
a table knife,
a pair of scissors,
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00:09:48,404 --> 00:09:51,314
and also charting
and stenciling tools,
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00:09:51,407 --> 00:09:54,426
that which you would find
aboard a ship
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00:09:54,577 --> 00:09:58,763
to stencil cargo
or to help with navigation.
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Fishburne: But the most
important clue of all
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00:10:01,343 --> 00:10:03,751
may be a name.
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00:10:03,770 --> 00:10:06,087
- There are a couple of items
inside the suitcase
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00:10:06,106 --> 00:10:09,941
that are inscribed T. Keane.
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00:10:10,093 --> 00:10:11,592
- So this gives the police
something to go on,
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00:10:11,612 --> 00:10:12,836
a name at least,
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00:10:12,929 --> 00:10:16,948
and that name is Keane,
K-E-A-N-E.
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00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:20,176
Fishburne: Finding T. Keane
won't be easy,
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and perhaps that's deliberate.
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00:10:25,626 --> 00:10:29,185
- Police are starting to build
a profile of this guy
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00:10:29,204 --> 00:10:31,371
and perhaps a story
why he was there.
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00:10:31,523 --> 00:10:33,873
Who is this Keane?
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00:10:33,967 --> 00:10:37,710
- Inquiries find no missing
persons by the name of Keane.
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00:10:37,804 --> 00:10:40,864
And so, now they think that
maybe this might be alias.
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00:10:40,882 --> 00:10:43,032
- But, at this point, there's
a name that doesn't match up.
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No one's missing.
It could be a ruse.
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The police had a suitcase
full of clues
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00:10:48,815 --> 00:10:50,874
and they have some evidence,
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00:10:50,892 --> 00:10:54,486
but there is nothing there
that really ties to the reason
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00:10:54,713 --> 00:10:56,729
why the Somerton Man
was visiting Adelaide.
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♪ ♪
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Fishburne:
Increasingly suspicious,
249
00:11:00,476 --> 00:11:04,220
police call
for a detailed autopsy.
250
00:11:04,239 --> 00:11:06,239
- Once they started the autopsy,
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00:11:06,391 --> 00:11:07,907
they do come across some things
252
00:11:08,059 --> 00:11:11,744
that are unusual
and shocking for them.
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00:11:11,838 --> 00:11:14,731
This enlarged spleen
that's three times larger
254
00:11:14,749 --> 00:11:16,007
than what it should be.
255
00:11:16,234 --> 00:11:19,235
They find his liver
is congested.
256
00:11:19,254 --> 00:11:22,180
And he's got blood
in his stomach.
257
00:11:22,331 --> 00:11:24,574
- Because of the conditions
of the organs,
258
00:11:24,667 --> 00:11:26,259
pathologist John Dwyer suspects
259
00:11:26,411 --> 00:11:28,761
that this man could be
the victim of poisoning.
260
00:11:28,914 --> 00:11:33,841
♪ ♪
261
00:11:33,860 --> 00:11:35,601
- They think it's poison because
262
00:11:35,754 --> 00:11:38,029
this man has
no outside injuries.
263
00:11:38,181 --> 00:11:40,606
He's got all
this internal trauma going on.
264
00:11:40,759 --> 00:11:42,258
What caused that?
265
00:11:42,351 --> 00:11:43,851
If he had been hit by something,
266
00:11:43,870 --> 00:11:45,261
he'd have an external bruise.
267
00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,021
- Also, in his stomach,
268
00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:51,451
aside from the presence
of blood is also a pasty,
269
00:11:51,545 --> 00:11:54,361
which is sort of like
an Australian meat pie.
270
00:11:54,381 --> 00:11:55,863
- They can tell what it was.
271
00:11:55,957 --> 00:11:57,698
And the meat is not digested,
272
00:11:57,792 --> 00:12:00,793
which implies that he ate that
and died shortly after.
273
00:12:00,946 --> 00:12:02,628
- If it turns out
this is a poisoning,
274
00:12:02,781 --> 00:12:04,055
that's a huge red flag.
275
00:12:04,282 --> 00:12:06,725
This is not
your everyday manner of death.
276
00:12:06,876 --> 00:12:08,375
And what it suggests is this guy
277
00:12:08,395 --> 00:12:09,969
could have been up
to something nefarious.
278
00:12:10,121 --> 00:12:11,896
♪ ♪
279
00:12:12,123 --> 00:12:13,565
- When the lab results
come back,
280
00:12:13,716 --> 00:12:16,217
they show no evidence
of poisoning
281
00:12:16,236 --> 00:12:20,405
and no evidence of poisoning
in the Australian meat pasty.
282
00:12:20,556 --> 00:12:23,800
His organs are in terrible
condition post-autopsy,
283
00:12:23,818 --> 00:12:25,076
and the police know that
they're gonna have
284
00:12:25,228 --> 00:12:27,061
to do a lot more digging
to find out
285
00:12:27,155 --> 00:12:31,307
what happened to this person,
who is he, and how did he die.
286
00:12:31,326 --> 00:12:33,810
Fishburne: Investigators next
take a closer look
287
00:12:33,828 --> 00:12:35,828
at the man's clothing.
288
00:12:35,922 --> 00:12:39,665
- Deep down inside
the man's watch pocket,
289
00:12:39,818 --> 00:12:42,151
they found a tiny,
rolled-up piece of paper.
290
00:12:42,170 --> 00:12:44,320
It had to be extracted
with tweezers
291
00:12:44,339 --> 00:12:45,579
because it was so far down,
292
00:12:45,599 --> 00:12:47,915
which is why they didn't
find it the first time.
293
00:12:47,934 --> 00:12:50,326
But when they unroll it,
there are some words on it.
294
00:12:50,345 --> 00:12:52,011
And the words are "tamám shud."
295
00:12:52,163 --> 00:12:54,180
♪ ♪
296
00:12:54,332 --> 00:12:57,108
- That stopped the press
this time.
297
00:12:57,335 --> 00:12:58,926
We got to find out what this is.
298
00:12:59,020 --> 00:13:01,521
What does this mean?
299
00:13:01,673 --> 00:13:04,431
- They contact local librarians
and researchers
300
00:13:04,451 --> 00:13:05,599
to just ask around
301
00:13:05,693 --> 00:13:08,344
if anybody knows
what this means.
302
00:13:08,363 --> 00:13:11,014
One of the librarians
mentions that,
303
00:13:11,107 --> 00:13:14,775
"Yes, it is the last word
in a book called
304
00:13:14,869 --> 00:13:16,702
the "Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám."
305
00:13:16,855 --> 00:13:19,872
♪ ♪
306
00:13:20,025 --> 00:13:25,028
- The "Rubáiyát" is
a book of love poems.
307
00:13:25,046 --> 00:13:28,031
The phrase "tamám shud"
translates into
308
00:13:28,049 --> 00:13:29,215
"it is finished."
309
00:13:29,367 --> 00:13:31,142
♪ ♪
310
00:13:31,294 --> 00:13:32,869
- It's not normal for someone
311
00:13:32,887 --> 00:13:34,813
to walk around
with a line of poetry
312
00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,540
that says "it is finished"
in their pocket.
313
00:13:37,633 --> 00:13:39,150
This is something
that was placed there.
314
00:13:39,377 --> 00:13:41,319
Now, whether it was
by the Somerton Man
315
00:13:41,470 --> 00:13:43,880
or by someone
who wanted him dead,
316
00:13:43,898 --> 00:13:46,658
that's what's worth exploring.
317
00:13:46,885 --> 00:13:50,386
Fishburne: But who might
want him dead, and why?
318
00:13:50,405 --> 00:13:53,406
- Looking at his belongings--
319
00:13:53,558 --> 00:13:55,725
Stenciling tools, maps,
320
00:13:55,743 --> 00:13:57,836
his clothing is clearly
from America
321
00:13:58,063 --> 00:14:00,063
which they see based
on the stitching,
322
00:14:00,081 --> 00:14:02,065
and an alias, potentially--
323
00:14:02,083 --> 00:14:04,158
Taking all of these clues
together,
324
00:14:04,252 --> 00:14:07,512
it's not unreasonable to think
that he may have been involved
325
00:14:07,663 --> 00:14:10,089
in the black market
as a smuggler.
326
00:14:10,241 --> 00:14:12,016
- And, if so,
did he become problematic
327
00:14:12,243 --> 00:14:14,927
for some other criminals
that want to see him gone?
328
00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,414
♪ ♪
329
00:14:18,433 --> 00:14:20,507
Fishburne:
Armed with new evidence,
330
00:14:20,527 --> 00:14:23,603
authorities begin
an official homicide inquest
331
00:14:23,697 --> 00:14:27,198
on June 17th, 1949.
332
00:14:27,425 --> 00:14:29,258
- An inquest is
sort of like a trial.
333
00:14:29,277 --> 00:14:31,761
There are witnesses,
experts, and doctors
334
00:14:31,854 --> 00:14:33,279
that will come and testify,
335
00:14:33,373 --> 00:14:37,116
and a judge or jury will
determine a cause of death.
336
00:14:37,268 --> 00:14:38,710
- So they're revisiting
337
00:14:38,861 --> 00:14:41,195
the possibility
of him being poisoned.
338
00:14:41,289 --> 00:14:43,864
- One of the experts
that testifies in this inquest
339
00:14:43,884 --> 00:14:45,717
is Sir Cedric Hicks.
340
00:14:45,868 --> 00:14:47,201
He's a professor of pharmacology
341
00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:48,535
and human physiology.
342
00:14:48,555 --> 00:14:49,795
And, to his knowledge,
343
00:14:49,948 --> 00:14:53,299
whatever toxin was there
evaporated quickly.
344
00:14:53,451 --> 00:14:55,542
It left no trace.
345
00:14:55,562 --> 00:14:59,546
But he has an idea
of two untraceable toxins
346
00:14:59,566 --> 00:15:01,733
that may be the cause here.
347
00:15:01,884 --> 00:15:05,144
- He's so afraid to say
these poisons out loud
348
00:15:05,238 --> 00:15:07,554
during the inquest
because they're so dangerous
349
00:15:07,574 --> 00:15:09,407
that he writes them down
on a piece of paper
350
00:15:09,558 --> 00:15:11,576
and delivers it to the judge.
351
00:15:11,803 --> 00:15:15,079
Later on, these two toxins
become known,
352
00:15:15,231 --> 00:15:18,416
and they are digitalis
and strophanthin.
353
00:15:18,643 --> 00:15:20,752
- Hicks believes
it's strophanthin.
354
00:15:20,903 --> 00:15:22,828
It's derived
from an African plant.
355
00:15:22,923 --> 00:15:26,499
Somali tribes would use it
to poison their arrows.
356
00:15:26,651 --> 00:15:28,501
Fishburne:
Despite Hick's testimony,
357
00:15:28,595 --> 00:15:30,653
on June 21st,
358
00:15:30,672 --> 00:15:35,341
the inquest concludes without
determining a cause of death.
359
00:15:35,493 --> 00:15:37,101
- They just don't have
enough evidence to say
360
00:15:37,328 --> 00:15:40,329
if he was poisoned by himself
or someone else.
361
00:15:40,423 --> 00:15:42,273
They don't know who this man is.
362
00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:44,776
They can't determine
if he was a smuggler or not,
363
00:15:44,927 --> 00:15:47,670
or if he's tied
to some other greater mystery.
364
00:15:47,689 --> 00:15:50,615
And so, they're stuck
in a quandary.
365
00:15:50,766 --> 00:15:52,191
Fishburne:
Back at square one,
366
00:15:52,285 --> 00:15:54,844
police revisit
the cryptic piece of paper
367
00:15:54,862 --> 00:15:57,104
found in the man's pocket.
368
00:15:57,198 --> 00:16:00,607
- The most mysterious clue
is the phrase "tamám shud."
369
00:16:00,702 --> 00:16:03,461
It's torn from a book that
was very popular at the time.
370
00:16:03,612 --> 00:16:06,205
If investigators can find
the man's original book,
371
00:16:06,357 --> 00:16:08,191
they may find more clues.
372
00:16:08,209 --> 00:16:09,859
- We know it's not
in his possession.
373
00:16:09,877 --> 00:16:11,970
We know it wasn't
at the crime scene.
374
00:16:12,121 --> 00:16:13,954
We know that it's not
in his suitcase
375
00:16:13,974 --> 00:16:16,716
that was discovered at
the Adelaide Railway Station.
376
00:16:16,810 --> 00:16:18,810
Fishburne: Investigators
search every library
377
00:16:18,961 --> 00:16:20,219
and bookstore in the area.
378
00:16:20,313 --> 00:16:22,480
♪ ♪
379
00:16:22,631 --> 00:16:24,798
- They begin looking
at publishing companies,
380
00:16:24,818 --> 00:16:26,892
they begin searching
internationally--
381
00:16:26,987 --> 00:16:29,821
Anywhere that they can think
to find this copy
382
00:16:29,972 --> 00:16:32,882
and this edition
of the "Rubáiyát."
383
00:16:32,900 --> 00:16:35,568
In a last-ditch effort,
they call upon the public
384
00:16:35,662 --> 00:16:38,979
to see if anybody has seen
this copy of the book.
385
00:16:38,999 --> 00:16:41,332
There are hundreds of thousands
of copies of the book
386
00:16:41,484 --> 00:16:43,150
floating around the world.
387
00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:47,171
Trying to find the copy
that was used in this case
388
00:16:47,323 --> 00:16:50,416
is like trying to find
a needle in a haystack.
389
00:16:50,568 --> 00:16:54,253
Fishburne:
That is until July 22nd, 1949.
390
00:16:54,405 --> 00:16:57,757
♪ ♪
391
00:16:57,851 --> 00:17:00,926
- An unidentified man walks
into the police station.
392
00:17:01,079 --> 00:17:03,929
This man lives very nearby
to Somerton Beach.
393
00:17:04,082 --> 00:17:07,674
♪ ♪
394
00:17:07,694 --> 00:17:11,178
He remembers that somebody
had thrown a copy of a book
395
00:17:11,197 --> 00:17:13,439
in the backseat of his car
on November 30th.
396
00:17:13,591 --> 00:17:16,350
♪ ♪
397
00:17:16,444 --> 00:17:17,702
He puts two and two together.
398
00:17:17,853 --> 00:17:19,595
He retrieves the copy
of the book
399
00:17:19,614 --> 00:17:22,523
and he brings it
into the police station.
400
00:17:22,617 --> 00:17:25,601
Fishburne: Police attempt to
match the torn scrap of paper
401
00:17:25,620 --> 00:17:27,953
to the book's damaged back page.
402
00:17:28,106 --> 00:17:30,122
♪ ♪
403
00:17:30,275 --> 00:17:32,383
- When the police
examine the book,
404
00:17:32,535 --> 00:17:34,886
they can tell that the tear
from the book
405
00:17:35,113 --> 00:17:37,280
matches exactly with
the rolled up piece of paper
406
00:17:37,373 --> 00:17:39,799
in the Somerton Man's pocket.
407
00:17:39,951 --> 00:17:42,468
They can tell microscopically,
by the fibers,
408
00:17:42,620 --> 00:17:44,470
it's the copy
that the Somerton Man had.
409
00:17:44,564 --> 00:17:48,215
It's a very easy mesh.
That, they know for sure now.
410
00:17:48,234 --> 00:17:51,051
Fishburne: And just
as investigators had hoped,
411
00:17:51,071 --> 00:17:53,905
the book is about to provide
an incredible new clue
412
00:17:54,132 --> 00:17:56,315
to the Somerton Man's identity.
413
00:17:56,467 --> 00:17:56,574
♪ ♪
414
00:18:00,896 --> 00:18:04,231
- Finding the actual book that
belonged to the Somerton Man
415
00:18:04,250 --> 00:18:07,810
is a miraculous twist
of fate in this case
416
00:18:07,903 --> 00:18:09,161
because they are able to begin
417
00:18:09,314 --> 00:18:10,980
piecing some new clues together
418
00:18:10,998 --> 00:18:13,740
that they had no idea
even existed before.
419
00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,410
There are notes written
in the book.
420
00:18:16,429 --> 00:18:18,763
And then,
most interestingly perhaps,
421
00:18:18,914 --> 00:18:21,824
there is a series of letters
in the back of the book,
422
00:18:21,843 --> 00:18:25,678
capital letters that seem
to be some sort of code.
423
00:18:25,830 --> 00:18:27,438
- When you look at
the coded message in the book
424
00:18:27,590 --> 00:18:29,423
and all other factors
425
00:18:29,442 --> 00:18:31,609
surrounding
the Somerton Man's case,
426
00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,352
it then leads
to the big question:
427
00:18:33,446 --> 00:18:35,020
is he a spy?
428
00:18:35,173 --> 00:18:36,689
♪ ♪
429
00:18:36,783 --> 00:18:38,190
- At the time,
430
00:18:38,284 --> 00:18:40,767
Australia is ramping up
their own nuclear testing,
431
00:18:40,787 --> 00:18:43,955
so the idea
is entirely plausible.
432
00:18:44,182 --> 00:18:46,849
- Using books
to deliver hidden codes
433
00:18:46,868 --> 00:18:49,627
seems like
it's next-level spying,
434
00:18:49,778 --> 00:18:51,871
but the truth is,
this was quite common,
435
00:18:52,023 --> 00:18:53,522
especially in 1948.
436
00:18:53,541 --> 00:18:57,284
The CIA did it, the KGB,
Israeli intelligence.
437
00:18:57,303 --> 00:18:59,303
- So what happens is that
the sender,
438
00:18:59,455 --> 00:19:02,623
they'll take the words out
of the book on certain pages
439
00:19:02,642 --> 00:19:07,219
and they use that to compose
the message they want to send.
440
00:19:07,372 --> 00:19:12,725
The receiver will have a card
that will have holes cut out,
441
00:19:12,877 --> 00:19:14,877
basically acting as a template
442
00:19:14,896 --> 00:19:16,896
that they can put
over the desired page,
443
00:19:17,048 --> 00:19:18,322
and that will reveal
the message underneath
444
00:19:18,474 --> 00:19:19,882
and the words
445
00:19:19,901 --> 00:19:22,902
and the order that they're
supposed to be received.
446
00:19:23,054 --> 00:19:24,403
Fishburne:
Authorities send the code
447
00:19:24,497 --> 00:19:27,723
to various intelligence
agencies around the world,
448
00:19:27,742 --> 00:19:30,984
hoping someone
will recognize it.
449
00:19:31,004 --> 00:19:33,320
- They send it to
the U.S. Naval intelligence.
450
00:19:33,339 --> 00:19:34,988
They send it
to British intelligence.
451
00:19:35,008 --> 00:19:36,841
They publish it in newspapers,
452
00:19:36,992 --> 00:19:40,085
hoping that an amateur sleuth
might be able to solve this.
453
00:19:40,238 --> 00:19:41,828
The code is only four lines,
454
00:19:41,848 --> 00:19:44,164
but the best codebreakers
in the world
455
00:19:44,258 --> 00:19:46,350
can't figure this out.
456
00:19:46,502 --> 00:19:48,835
You don't even need
to really figure out the code
457
00:19:48,930 --> 00:19:51,430
to indicate that there is
some sort of larger espionage
458
00:19:51,582 --> 00:19:53,173
going on.
459
00:19:53,193 --> 00:19:54,859
If we are to believe
that he's a spy,
460
00:19:55,010 --> 00:19:57,920
that very well could be
what caused his death.
461
00:19:57,939 --> 00:20:02,258
♪ ♪
462
00:20:02,276 --> 00:20:05,352
- He was clearly a careful guy,
which is evidenced by the fact
463
00:20:05,371 --> 00:20:07,187
of the removal
of his clothing labels,
464
00:20:07,207 --> 00:20:09,540
the fact that he uses an alias.
465
00:20:09,767 --> 00:20:11,358
Fishburne:
But according to experts,
466
00:20:11,452 --> 00:20:17,381
the most important proof is
where and how the man died.
467
00:20:17,608 --> 00:20:20,109
- So there's two
really important locations
468
00:20:20,127 --> 00:20:22,445
in Australia, which make this
even more interesting.
469
00:20:22,463 --> 00:20:24,447
One is Woomera,
470
00:20:24,465 --> 00:20:27,040
which is home of
an advanced rocketry program
471
00:20:27,060 --> 00:20:28,617
involving the United States,
472
00:20:28,636 --> 00:20:31,804
as well as Australian
military authorities.
473
00:20:31,956 --> 00:20:33,547
The other is Radium Hill,
474
00:20:33,566 --> 00:20:37,718
which is home to a uranium
processing facility.
475
00:20:37,737 --> 00:20:40,238
The location
of the Somerton Man's body
476
00:20:40,465 --> 00:20:42,556
close to these facilities
in Australia
477
00:20:42,575 --> 00:20:44,967
isn't coincidental in my view.
478
00:20:44,986 --> 00:20:47,078
- The UK is also preparing
479
00:20:47,229 --> 00:20:49,154
to start atomic testing
in Australia,
480
00:20:49,307 --> 00:20:50,897
800 kilometers from Adelaide.
481
00:20:50,992 --> 00:20:52,324
And there's some evidence
482
00:20:52,418 --> 00:20:54,643
that secrets are already
being leaked from Australia
483
00:20:54,662 --> 00:20:56,479
to the USSR.
484
00:20:56,497 --> 00:20:58,314
- There's a top secret
intelligence program
485
00:20:58,332 --> 00:20:59,648
called Venona.
486
00:20:59,667 --> 00:21:02,167
It's a joint
American-British operation,
487
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,337
and it's designed
to do counterintelligence.
488
00:21:05,490 --> 00:21:09,750
In 1947, the Venona project
was able to pick up evidence
489
00:21:09,769 --> 00:21:11,660
that Russian
intelligence operations
490
00:21:11,679 --> 00:21:14,087
were taking place in Australia
491
00:21:14,107 --> 00:21:16,015
through its embassy in Canberra.
492
00:21:16,109 --> 00:21:17,683
So we have a code
493
00:21:17,835 --> 00:21:20,503
that suggests
the man may have been a spy.
494
00:21:20,521 --> 00:21:22,838
We have the location,
which certainly suggests
495
00:21:22,931 --> 00:21:24,431
that the man
may have been a spy.
496
00:21:24,450 --> 00:21:27,026
And most interesting to me
is the fact
497
00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:29,862
that he appears to have died
from an exotic poison,
498
00:21:30,014 --> 00:21:32,681
which is absolutely spycraft
499
00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:35,701
and certainly suggests
the possibility
500
00:21:35,795 --> 00:21:38,370
of this being what's
referred to as a "wet op,"
501
00:21:38,523 --> 00:21:39,855
"mokroye delo" in Russian,
502
00:21:39,874 --> 00:21:42,041
which is a kind of
time-honored tradition
503
00:21:42,193 --> 00:21:43,526
by Russian intelligence
504
00:21:43,544 --> 00:21:46,362
to get rid of people
by means of assassination
505
00:21:46,380 --> 00:21:49,289
without leaving any kind
of obvious hallmarks.
506
00:21:49,309 --> 00:21:52,217
Fishburne: Could a seemingly
insignificant piece
507
00:21:52,370 --> 00:21:55,980
of evidence be the key
to cracking this case?
508
00:21:56,207 --> 00:21:58,465
- The cigarette clue
is a fascinating one
509
00:21:58,484 --> 00:22:01,877
where they discover in
his possession, his cigarettes,
510
00:22:01,896 --> 00:22:04,046
there's a different kind
of cigarette brand
511
00:22:04,139 --> 00:22:06,231
in the box of his cigarettes,
512
00:22:06,384 --> 00:22:09,051
which seemed to indicate that
someone had replaced them.
513
00:22:09,070 --> 00:22:10,903
- This is a cheap box
of cigarettes,
514
00:22:11,055 --> 00:22:13,664
and inside the box
are an expensive brand.
515
00:22:13,816 --> 00:22:15,407
So why would anyone
wanna do that?
516
00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,818
Is it possible
that the man was poisoned
517
00:22:17,837 --> 00:22:20,671
and that the delivery system
for the poison
518
00:22:20,823 --> 00:22:21,730
was the cigarettes?
519
00:22:21,749 --> 00:22:23,490
♪ ♪
520
00:22:23,509 --> 00:22:25,992
Fishburne: Unfortunately,
the Australian police
521
00:22:26,012 --> 00:22:29,238
discard the cigarettes
before they can be analyzed.
522
00:22:29,256 --> 00:22:31,090
- And that's a real shame
because the cigarettes
523
00:22:31,242 --> 00:22:33,258
could have provided
a quintessential detail
524
00:22:33,411 --> 00:22:35,244
that may have solved this case.
525
00:22:35,262 --> 00:22:38,080
If the cigarettes were tested
and we could prove
526
00:22:38,099 --> 00:22:40,599
that there was poison
in the cigarettes,
527
00:22:40,693 --> 00:22:42,693
explaining why there were
different cigarettes
528
00:22:42,845 --> 00:22:43,936
in the box,
529
00:22:44,088 --> 00:22:45,863
it would certainly
support a theory
530
00:22:46,014 --> 00:22:48,440
that he was involved in spycraft
531
00:22:48,593 --> 00:22:51,427
and he was murdered for that.
532
00:22:51,445 --> 00:22:53,929
Fishburne: But
if the Somerton Man is a spy,
533
00:22:53,948 --> 00:22:56,356
who was he working for?
534
00:22:56,376 --> 00:22:58,117
- There is some speculation
out there
535
00:22:58,269 --> 00:23:00,119
that he was not just anybody
536
00:23:00,271 --> 00:23:03,881
but that he was a particular
agent named Pavel Fedosimov.
537
00:23:04,032 --> 00:23:06,609
Fedosimov was known as Stefan.
That's his code name.
538
00:23:06,627 --> 00:23:09,612
He was known to British
and American intelligence.
539
00:23:09,630 --> 00:23:13,039
Fishburne: Fedosimov
was identified as a KGB spy
540
00:23:13,134 --> 00:23:15,951
during Operation Venona.
541
00:23:15,970 --> 00:23:17,453
- Fedosimov was stationed
542
00:23:17,471 --> 00:23:19,379
at the Russian embassy
in the United States.
543
00:23:19,399 --> 00:23:21,473
And we know for sure
that the Somerton Man
544
00:23:21,626 --> 00:23:25,051
had at least traveled
in the United States.
545
00:23:25,071 --> 00:23:26,962
The U.S. was
tracking Fedosimov,
546
00:23:26,981 --> 00:23:28,739
and they follow him,
and they know that he,
547
00:23:28,891 --> 00:23:31,224
at least theoretically,
leaves the country on a ship
548
00:23:31,244 --> 00:23:35,413
bound for Odessa in Ukraine
in 1948.
549
00:23:35,564 --> 00:23:38,749
And some people have placed
Fedosimov in Australia,
550
00:23:38,976 --> 00:23:41,977
although the evidence
is very scant.
551
00:23:41,996 --> 00:23:43,829
Fishburne: After the
Somerton Man's body is found
552
00:23:43,981 --> 00:23:46,482
on December 1st, 1948,
553
00:23:46,500 --> 00:23:49,485
Fedosimov is never seen again.
554
00:23:49,503 --> 00:23:51,487
♪ ♪
555
00:23:51,505 --> 00:23:53,747
- Can you say that Fedosimov
and the Somerton Man
556
00:23:53,766 --> 00:23:55,157
are one and the same?
557
00:23:55,176 --> 00:23:57,768
You can't rule it out,
that's absolutely true,
558
00:23:57,995 --> 00:23:59,328
but I don't think
there's enough evidence
559
00:23:59,346 --> 00:24:00,921
to say that conclusively.
560
00:24:00,940 --> 00:24:03,015
Fishburne:
But there may be another way
561
00:24:03,167 --> 00:24:05,609
to identify the Somerton Man.
562
00:24:05,761 --> 00:24:06,927
- There's one more clue
in that book
563
00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:09,447
that might be
even more important.
564
00:24:09,598 --> 00:24:12,675
Fishburne: And it could lead
police straight to his killer.
565
00:24:12,693 --> 00:24:14,243
♪ ♪
566
00:24:18,273 --> 00:24:21,016
- A dead body, a book of poetry,
567
00:24:21,035 --> 00:24:23,627
and an unsolvable code.
568
00:24:23,779 --> 00:24:25,537
After eight months
of investigation
569
00:24:25,631 --> 00:24:27,372
into the Somerton Man,
570
00:24:27,525 --> 00:24:30,526
police have little else
to go on.
571
00:24:30,619 --> 00:24:32,953
But in his copy
of the Rubáiyát,"
572
00:24:33,047 --> 00:24:35,139
there is one more clue:
573
00:24:35,366 --> 00:24:38,383
a pair
of handwritten phone numbers.
574
00:24:38,478 --> 00:24:42,629
Can this finally lead
investigators to answers?
575
00:24:42,648 --> 00:24:45,131
[dramatic music]
576
00:24:45,151 --> 00:24:47,968
- The other clue is
what appears to be
577
00:24:47,987 --> 00:24:51,655
two phone numbers
written inside the book.
578
00:24:51,807 --> 00:24:54,066
- The police decided to call
these two phone numbers.
579
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,643
The first is to a bank,
which is a dead end.
580
00:24:56,662 --> 00:24:59,980
The second number belongs
to a woman who lives nearby,
581
00:25:00,074 --> 00:25:01,982
in fact, only 400 yards
582
00:25:02,001 --> 00:25:06,670
from where the Somerton Man
was found on the beach.
583
00:25:06,897 --> 00:25:08,397
Fishburne:
Police visit the woman
584
00:25:08,490 --> 00:25:10,824
and try to find out
what she knows.
585
00:25:10,843 --> 00:25:13,085
[dramatic music]
586
00:25:13,237 --> 00:25:14,494
- And she agrees to cooperate,
587
00:25:14,514 --> 00:25:16,588
but she wants
to remain anonymous.
588
00:25:16,682 --> 00:25:18,090
She tells the police
589
00:25:18,242 --> 00:25:20,259
that she does not know
the Somerton Man,
590
00:25:20,353 --> 00:25:23,078
but she does admit that she
owned a copy of the "Rubáiyát"
591
00:25:23,097 --> 00:25:24,596
that she gave
to a male acquaintance
592
00:25:24,690 --> 00:25:26,840
some years earlier.
593
00:25:26,859 --> 00:25:29,418
- She was training as a nurse
in 1945 in Sydney
594
00:25:29,511 --> 00:25:31,754
when she met someone
named Al Boxall.
595
00:25:31,772 --> 00:25:33,179
They became friendly.
596
00:25:33,199 --> 00:25:34,773
She gave him a copy
of the "Rubáiyát"
597
00:25:34,867 --> 00:25:37,760
and she inscribed it
with her nickname "Jestyn,"
598
00:25:37,853 --> 00:25:39,945
but she hasn't spoken with him
in years.
599
00:25:40,097 --> 00:25:41,764
♪ ♪
600
00:25:41,782 --> 00:25:46,101
Fishburne: Could Boxall be
the Somerton Man?
601
00:25:46,120 --> 00:25:47,545
- So, of course,
the authorities think
602
00:25:47,772 --> 00:25:49,863
perhaps
this acquaintance of hers
603
00:25:49,957 --> 00:25:52,941
who received the "Rubáiyát,"
maybe that's the Somerton Man.
604
00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,703
However, a few days later,
they follow up on a lead
605
00:25:56,722 --> 00:25:58,113
and they find that
he's alive and well.
606
00:25:58,132 --> 00:26:00,449
♪ ♪
607
00:26:00,467 --> 00:26:01,950
- The plot really thickens
608
00:26:01,969 --> 00:26:04,210
when one looks
at Boxall's background
609
00:26:04,230 --> 00:26:08,140
during World War II and
afterwards, from 1945 to 1948,
610
00:26:08,234 --> 00:26:10,642
Boxall is involved
in Australian intelligence.
611
00:26:10,795 --> 00:26:13,295
♪ ♪
612
00:26:13,388 --> 00:26:15,147
I think the intrigue
is even greater
613
00:26:15,241 --> 00:26:17,908
when the two stories
of "Jestyn" and Boxall
614
00:26:18,060 --> 00:26:19,726
are put side by side.
615
00:26:19,820 --> 00:26:22,729
"Jestyn" says that they met one
another in the army hospital,
616
00:26:22,823 --> 00:26:24,823
and according to Boxall, the
exchange of the book happens
617
00:26:24,975 --> 00:26:29,812
at the Clifton Gardens Hotel
over drinks.
618
00:26:29,830 --> 00:26:32,497
Fishburne: To investigators,
that location sounds familiar.
619
00:26:32,650 --> 00:26:34,983
♪ ♪
620
00:26:35,077 --> 00:26:36,743
- What's interesting is that
621
00:26:36,762 --> 00:26:39,321
if we're to believe
Boxall's version of the story,
622
00:26:39,414 --> 00:26:41,006
where the book is exchanged
623
00:26:41,100 --> 00:26:44,101
at the Clifton Garden Hotel
in August of 1945,
624
00:26:44,328 --> 00:26:47,253
just two months earlier,
in June of 1945,
625
00:26:47,273 --> 00:26:49,440
the body of George Marshall
is found
626
00:26:49,591 --> 00:26:51,108
with a copy of the "Rubáiyát"
627
00:26:51,259 --> 00:26:53,852
a short walk
from that very hotel.
628
00:26:54,004 --> 00:26:55,671
♪ ♪
629
00:26:55,689 --> 00:26:57,522
- Not only is the copy
of the "Rubáiyát," there,
630
00:26:57,675 --> 00:27:00,859
but he's also found
near a bottle of lemonade
631
00:27:01,011 --> 00:27:02,361
and some mysterious powder,
632
00:27:02,513 --> 00:27:04,196
which leads some people to think
633
00:27:04,348 --> 00:27:06,348
that it may have
also been a poisoning.
634
00:27:06,441 --> 00:27:08,533
And that's too similar
for coincidence
635
00:27:08,686 --> 00:27:12,112
between the Somerton Man
and Marshall's death.
636
00:27:12,206 --> 00:27:15,040
Fishburne: Two bodies found
dead on Australian beaches,
637
00:27:15,134 --> 00:27:20,362
both tied to the same book
and possibly the same woman.
638
00:27:20,381 --> 00:27:24,216
Police decide to question
the mysterious "Jestyn"
639
00:27:24,310 --> 00:27:26,535
once again.
640
00:27:26,553 --> 00:27:28,628
- This woman really was
a quintessential part
641
00:27:28,722 --> 00:27:30,038
of the investigation.
642
00:27:30,132 --> 00:27:31,390
And what's particularly
interesting
643
00:27:31,484 --> 00:27:33,558
about all the great work
they did in the case
644
00:27:33,653 --> 00:27:35,560
is that before
the Somerton Man is buried,
645
00:27:35,713 --> 00:27:37,229
they make a plaster cast of him
646
00:27:37,323 --> 00:27:41,066
to preserve the way he looks
before decomposition.
647
00:27:41,218 --> 00:27:45,237
They bring in "Jestyn"
to view the cast.
648
00:27:45,389 --> 00:27:46,905
Initially, when she looks at it,
649
00:27:46,999 --> 00:27:49,482
she claims that
she doesn't recognize the cast
650
00:27:49,502 --> 00:27:52,394
when all of her body language
suggests otherwise.
651
00:27:52,487 --> 00:27:54,004
- When Detective Sergeant Leane
652
00:27:54,231 --> 00:27:56,081
showed the woman
the plaster bust,
653
00:27:56,175 --> 00:27:58,066
his reaction was that
654
00:27:58,085 --> 00:28:00,511
she looked like she was
completely taken aback,
655
00:28:00,738 --> 00:28:03,514
like she appeared to be
about to faint.
656
00:28:03,665 --> 00:28:06,909
In fact, some reports say that
he was standing behind her,
657
00:28:07,002 --> 00:28:09,261
ready to catch her if she did.
658
00:28:09,413 --> 00:28:11,337
So then, this begs the question:
659
00:28:11,357 --> 00:28:13,265
did she have any involvement
in his death?
660
00:28:13,417 --> 00:28:16,601
♪ ♪
661
00:28:16,754 --> 00:28:18,362
Fishburne:
"Jestyn" convinces police
662
00:28:18,589 --> 00:28:21,273
not to release her name
publicly.
663
00:28:21,367 --> 00:28:24,684
- So why didn't she want
her name out in the open?
664
00:28:24,704 --> 00:28:26,519
It's very possible
that she didn't want
665
00:28:26,613 --> 00:28:30,857
her relationship with Boxall
to be known by her husband.
666
00:28:30,876 --> 00:28:32,768
- But I think there's
another factor at play here,
667
00:28:32,786 --> 00:28:34,102
which is pretty basic.
668
00:28:34,196 --> 00:28:36,788
In 1949, many people
didn't imagine
669
00:28:36,882 --> 00:28:40,442
that women could be involved
in espionage.
670
00:28:40,461 --> 00:28:42,720
So they honor her request
for an anonymity,
671
00:28:42,871 --> 00:28:46,873
and in the process, kind of
pass by the whole possibility
672
00:28:46,892 --> 00:28:49,618
that she's involved
in more ways than one.
673
00:28:49,636 --> 00:28:51,211
Fishburne:
It isn't until years later
674
00:28:51,230 --> 00:28:54,139
that the woman's identity
is revealed.
675
00:28:54,233 --> 00:28:56,792
- For decades, people have
referred to her as "Jestyn,"
676
00:28:56,810 --> 00:28:59,069
which is the nickname used
in the police records.
677
00:28:59,296 --> 00:29:02,314
It took decades' worth
of sleuthing,
678
00:29:02,466 --> 00:29:04,241
both by police
who were involved in the case
679
00:29:04,392 --> 00:29:06,410
and by some amateurs,
to put two and two together
680
00:29:06,637 --> 00:29:09,471
and to figure out
the real identity.
681
00:29:09,490 --> 00:29:11,823
- After her death in 2007,
682
00:29:11,976 --> 00:29:13,917
we learned that
upon her initial interview,
683
00:29:14,144 --> 00:29:16,587
she gave her name
as Jessica Thomson,
684
00:29:16,738 --> 00:29:19,998
but even that wasn't
her real name.
685
00:29:20,150 --> 00:29:22,334
- She was born Jesse Harkness
in Sydney,
686
00:29:22,486 --> 00:29:23,668
and she goes by the name Jo.
687
00:29:23,821 --> 00:29:26,246
♪ ♪
688
00:29:26,340 --> 00:29:29,508
When she passes away in 2007,
she's gone her entire life
689
00:29:29,660 --> 00:29:31,676
insisting that she knows
nothing about this case.
690
00:29:31,829 --> 00:29:33,103
♪ ♪
691
00:29:33,330 --> 00:29:34,846
Fishburne:
But Thomson's secrets
692
00:29:34,999 --> 00:29:38,591
don't end with her death.
693
00:29:38,611 --> 00:29:41,353
- In 2013, Jo's daughter,
Kate Thomson,
694
00:29:41,447 --> 00:29:43,505
gives an interview
for Australian "60 Minutes"
695
00:29:43,524 --> 00:29:45,340
where she makes
two very important claims
696
00:29:45,433 --> 00:29:47,284
that may relate to this case:
697
00:29:47,435 --> 00:29:49,787
one, that her mother
did admit to her
698
00:29:50,014 --> 00:29:51,530
that she knew the Somerton Man,
699
00:29:51,682 --> 00:29:53,532
and two, that she spoke Russian
700
00:29:53,626 --> 00:29:56,868
and she taught it to Russian
immigrants in Australia.
701
00:29:57,021 --> 00:29:59,187
♪ ♪
702
00:29:59,206 --> 00:30:00,798
- And that fueled the fire
703
00:30:00,949 --> 00:30:03,859
that Somerton Man may, in fact,
be a KGB operative
704
00:30:03,952 --> 00:30:06,619
or KGB associate of some sort.
705
00:30:06,639 --> 00:30:08,639
And that's led to, since 2013,
706
00:30:08,866 --> 00:30:10,382
a whole bunch of questions again
707
00:30:10,534 --> 00:30:12,309
about the identity
of the Somerton Man.
708
00:30:16,206 --> 00:30:17,463
- There are a number of theories
709
00:30:17,558 --> 00:30:19,207
about who the Somerton Man was.
710
00:30:19,226 --> 00:30:23,045
The spy theory, the
black market trader theory.
711
00:30:23,138 --> 00:30:25,155
But I think there are clues
712
00:30:25,382 --> 00:30:27,716
that take us away
from those theories.
713
00:30:27,734 --> 00:30:29,234
[dramatic music]
714
00:30:29,386 --> 00:30:33,071
- Abbott's theory begins
in his classroom.
715
00:30:33,165 --> 00:30:36,149
- My students are well-versed
in coding theory.
716
00:30:36,168 --> 00:30:39,319
And so, I gave it
as a cool exercise to them
717
00:30:39,413 --> 00:30:41,396
to look at this code,
718
00:30:41,415 --> 00:30:44,416
check out what were the codes
in World War II
719
00:30:44,568 --> 00:30:46,326
that were known at the time,
720
00:30:46,420 --> 00:30:51,331
and eliminate one by one
which codes it couldn't be.
721
00:30:51,425 --> 00:30:57,412
And statistically, it shows
that it's really not a code.
722
00:30:57,431 --> 00:31:01,750
It's just the first letters of
words in the English language.
723
00:31:01,768 --> 00:31:03,268
So what could that be?
724
00:31:03,420 --> 00:31:05,345
It could just be
an aide-mémoire,
725
00:31:05,439 --> 00:31:08,365
somebody just jotting down
the first letters of words
726
00:31:08,516 --> 00:31:10,016
to remember something.
727
00:31:10,110 --> 00:31:12,870
But the interesting thing is,
there's four lines of them
728
00:31:13,097 --> 00:31:15,706
and it's in a book
of love poetry
729
00:31:15,933 --> 00:31:17,933
where every verse
was in four lines.
730
00:31:17,951 --> 00:31:20,102
So it makes you wonder
731
00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,213
whether he was just trying
to pen his own verse.
732
00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:26,775
Was he being romantic
towards a young lady
733
00:31:26,868 --> 00:31:28,719
who lived five minutes' walk
734
00:31:28,946 --> 00:31:30,779
from where the man
was found dead.
735
00:31:30,797 --> 00:31:32,372
And he had her phone number.
736
00:31:32,466 --> 00:31:34,299
Joining the dots there,
737
00:31:34,393 --> 00:31:37,135
there perhaps was a connection
between the two.
738
00:31:37,287 --> 00:31:40,622
Perhaps this is a love story.
739
00:31:40,641 --> 00:31:43,141
Fishburne: Or something
entirely different.
740
00:31:43,235 --> 00:31:47,887
♪ ♪
741
00:31:47,907 --> 00:31:49,464
- In the case
of the Somerton Man,
742
00:31:49,483 --> 00:31:52,892
it could very well be
that they had a relationship.
743
00:31:52,986 --> 00:31:54,077
She gave him this book,
744
00:31:54,304 --> 00:31:56,138
which has
very romantic poems in it--
745
00:31:56,231 --> 00:31:58,081
Poems about seizing the day,
746
00:31:58,233 --> 00:32:01,084
about being together while
the world is so difficult.
747
00:32:01,236 --> 00:32:03,161
And they're in love.
748
00:32:03,313 --> 00:32:05,497
- But their relationship ends.
749
00:32:05,649 --> 00:32:06,831
And then, many years later,
750
00:32:06,984 --> 00:32:09,259
the man shows up, in 1948,
751
00:32:09,411 --> 00:32:10,986
looking to rekindle
752
00:32:11,004 --> 00:32:13,579
or somehow address
his relationship with her.
753
00:32:13,599 --> 00:32:15,490
She doesn't want anything
to do with it.
754
00:32:15,509 --> 00:32:19,085
And, you know, heartbroken,
decides to end his life
755
00:32:19,104 --> 00:32:21,754
by poisoning himself
on the beach.
756
00:32:21,774 --> 00:32:23,089
Fishburne:
But if the Somerton Man
757
00:32:23,108 --> 00:32:25,275
committed suicide
by self-poison,
758
00:32:25,427 --> 00:32:28,186
the question is why.
759
00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:29,838
♪ ♪
760
00:32:29,856 --> 00:32:31,339
- Back in 1948,
761
00:32:31,358 --> 00:32:33,692
Jo Thomson was involved
in a relationship
762
00:32:33,844 --> 00:32:36,511
with a man named
Prosper Thomson,
763
00:32:36,530 --> 00:32:37,621
her soon-to-be husband.
764
00:32:37,848 --> 00:32:40,123
And they had
a 16-month-old child
765
00:32:40,275 --> 00:32:42,608
named Robin Thomson.
766
00:32:42,628 --> 00:32:44,444
- But here's
the interesting part:
767
00:32:44,463 --> 00:32:47,130
Jo Thomson becomes pregnant
in 1946,
768
00:32:47,357 --> 00:32:49,633
and a true timeline
cannot be established
769
00:32:49,860 --> 00:32:52,694
as to when Jo
and Prosper Thomson met.
770
00:32:52,787 --> 00:32:55,973
- It appears that in 1946,
771
00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,201
when she became pregnant
in Sydney,
772
00:32:59,294 --> 00:33:01,144
she was in nursing quarters
773
00:33:01,371 --> 00:33:03,221
training as a nurse
in a hospital.
774
00:33:03,315 --> 00:33:04,706
♪ ♪
775
00:33:04,725 --> 00:33:06,817
- Prosper Thomson was living
776
00:33:06,968 --> 00:33:09,486
a few hundred miles away
at the time.
777
00:33:09,713 --> 00:33:12,380
- So this timeline
raises questions
778
00:33:12,474 --> 00:33:16,493
about the lineage
of Robin Thomson.
779
00:33:16,644 --> 00:33:18,220
- Some would suggest
780
00:33:18,238 --> 00:33:20,722
that it was a twisted,
triangular relationship.
781
00:33:20,741 --> 00:33:24,334
The whole thing reads like
a movie script, frankly.
782
00:33:24,486 --> 00:33:27,004
Fishburne: Abbott believes
that Robin could be the key
783
00:33:27,231 --> 00:33:29,506
to proving
the Somerton Man's identity
784
00:33:29,733 --> 00:33:33,235
and providing a motive
for his death.
785
00:33:33,253 --> 00:33:35,253
- The interesting thing
about Robin Thomson is
786
00:33:35,405 --> 00:33:37,514
he was
a professional ballet dancer.
787
00:33:37,741 --> 00:33:40,666
I recalled that
one of the people
788
00:33:40,761 --> 00:33:44,095
that had examined the Somerton
Man's body in the mortuary
789
00:33:44,248 --> 00:33:46,097
had noted that the Somerton Man
790
00:33:46,250 --> 00:33:49,008
had extremely strong
calf muscles
791
00:33:49,102 --> 00:33:53,605
that were high up the leg
like that of a ballet dancer.
792
00:33:53,699 --> 00:33:56,274
Fishburne: And the
similarities don't end there.
793
00:33:56,368 --> 00:33:58,535
♪ ♪
794
00:33:58,762 --> 00:34:01,020
- So only about 2%
of the population
795
00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,098
have what they call
"hyperdontia,"
796
00:34:03,116 --> 00:34:05,858
where they're missing teeth
because of genetics.
797
00:34:05,952 --> 00:34:09,954
Well, the Somerton Man
is missing two incisor teeth.
798
00:34:10,049 --> 00:34:12,365
And we know that
they're missing naturally
799
00:34:12,384 --> 00:34:14,609
because the other teeth
filled in.
800
00:34:14,628 --> 00:34:18,280
- Also, I noticed something
strange about his ears.
801
00:34:18,298 --> 00:34:21,800
The upper hollow of your ear
is called the cymba,
802
00:34:21,894 --> 00:34:24,469
and the lower hollow
is called the cavum.
803
00:34:24,563 --> 00:34:28,381
And your cymba is usually
very narrow and small,
804
00:34:28,475 --> 00:34:30,233
and the cavum is big.
805
00:34:30,385 --> 00:34:32,718
But, with the Somerton Man,
it's the other way around.
806
00:34:32,813 --> 00:34:34,479
His ears are inverted.
807
00:34:34,573 --> 00:34:36,239
♪ ♪
808
00:34:36,466 --> 00:34:37,799
Fishburne:
Robin Thomson shares
809
00:34:37,892 --> 00:34:40,802
both rare genetic traits.
810
00:34:40,895 --> 00:34:41,912
- So what are the odds of them
811
00:34:42,139 --> 00:34:45,248
having the same
ear shapes and sizes
812
00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,919
and the same missing two front
teeth, the lateral incisors?
813
00:34:49,146 --> 00:34:51,996
What are those odds?
They're 1 in 10,000,000.
814
00:34:52,091 --> 00:34:54,666
♪ ♪
815
00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:58,987
- So the obvious question
this all raises is:
816
00:34:59,005 --> 00:35:01,932
is the Somerton Man
the father of Robin Thomson?
817
00:35:06,179 --> 00:35:07,178
- We just got
to look at the facts.
818
00:35:07,331 --> 00:35:08,663
He had a book of love poetry
819
00:35:08,756 --> 00:35:11,274
with the phone number of a lady
820
00:35:11,426 --> 00:35:15,019
who had a child with genetic
features very similar to his.
821
00:35:15,114 --> 00:35:16,596
[dramatic music]
822
00:35:16,615 --> 00:35:19,357
Perhaps it's not
something sinister,
823
00:35:19,509 --> 00:35:21,860
but it's a matter of the heart.
824
00:35:22,012 --> 00:35:23,286
♪ ♪
825
00:35:23,513 --> 00:35:26,439
- It does seem possible,
maybe even likely,
826
00:35:26,458 --> 00:35:31,369
that he comes back into town
to reignite an old flame.
827
00:35:31,521 --> 00:35:33,630
And he visits Jo Thomson.
828
00:35:33,781 --> 00:35:37,283
However, he finds out that
she's now in a relationship,
829
00:35:37,377 --> 00:35:42,455
she's got a 16-month-old son
that is possibly his child.
830
00:35:42,474 --> 00:35:44,290
And putting
two and two together,
831
00:35:44,309 --> 00:35:45,700
maybe it's a reason
832
00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,127
why she didn't want him
in her life anymore.
833
00:35:48,147 --> 00:35:49,980
He's rebuffed.
834
00:35:50,131 --> 00:35:53,208
And, at this point, maybe he
had nothing else to live for.
835
00:35:53,226 --> 00:35:54,651
♪ ♪
836
00:35:54,878 --> 00:35:57,045
Back when the Somerton Man
was found,
837
00:35:57,063 --> 00:35:59,731
they found a tiny,
rolled-up piece of paper
838
00:35:59,883 --> 00:36:01,549
that said "tamám shud."
839
00:36:01,568 --> 00:36:04,052
Well, the English translation
of it means
840
00:36:04,070 --> 00:36:07,146
"it is finished"
or "it is done."
841
00:36:07,166 --> 00:36:09,891
And could this then
be a suicide note?
842
00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:11,576
♪ ♪
843
00:36:11,728 --> 00:36:14,562
Fishburne: But proving
this theory will be difficult.
844
00:36:14,581 --> 00:36:17,490
- There's a big question mark
over his death,
845
00:36:17,584 --> 00:36:21,994
but where we can find answers
is through the man's DNA.
846
00:36:22,014 --> 00:36:24,239
[dramatic music]
847
00:36:24,257 --> 00:36:27,242
- So, in an effort
to identify the Somerton Man,
848
00:36:27,335 --> 00:36:29,594
they did a casting of his head.
849
00:36:29,746 --> 00:36:32,689
Dr. Abbott went
to examine that casting
850
00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:35,859
and sees that
there's actually some hairs.
851
00:36:36,086 --> 00:36:38,678
- This got me excited
because I realized
852
00:36:38,697 --> 00:36:41,439
that this could be
a source of DNA
853
00:36:41,591 --> 00:36:44,350
that could crack this case.
854
00:36:44,369 --> 00:36:47,946
Fishburne: Next, he tries
to find Robin Thomson.
855
00:36:48,098 --> 00:36:51,041
- But Robin Thomson died
a couple months before.
856
00:36:51,268 --> 00:36:53,117
And he was cremated,
so there's no remains
857
00:36:53,212 --> 00:36:54,860
to get the DNA
858
00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,605
to see if he was related
to the Somerton Man.
859
00:36:57,624 --> 00:36:59,699
♪ ♪
860
00:36:59,793 --> 00:37:01,109
So I thought to myself,
861
00:37:01,127 --> 00:37:04,462
"Well, has Robin Thomson
got any descendants?"
862
00:37:04,614 --> 00:37:06,448
I did some detective work
863
00:37:06,466 --> 00:37:10,376
and I tracked down
one of his daughters.
864
00:37:10,395 --> 00:37:12,287
Fishburne:
Her name is Rachel Egan,
865
00:37:12,305 --> 00:37:16,291
the daughter of Robin Thomson
and Roma Egan.
866
00:37:16,309 --> 00:37:18,902
They toured together
in a ballet company.
867
00:37:19,053 --> 00:37:22,572
- And she kindly
donated her DNA.
868
00:37:22,724 --> 00:37:27,410
I was able to subtract her DNA
and her mother's DNA
869
00:37:27,562 --> 00:37:32,064
to basically reconstruct
Robin Thomson's DNA.
870
00:37:32,084 --> 00:37:36,311
I was excited that Rachel
agreed to give me her DNA,
871
00:37:36,329 --> 00:37:38,571
but I got a lot more than that.
872
00:37:38,590 --> 00:37:41,424
Fishburne: Abbott and Rachel
began dating in 2010
873
00:37:41,576 --> 00:37:44,577
and married just
a few months later.
874
00:37:44,671 --> 00:37:48,581
- Sadly, there's not enough
DNA material on the hair shafts
875
00:37:48,675 --> 00:37:53,753
to figure out if the Somerton
Man is Robin Thomson's father.
876
00:37:53,772 --> 00:37:55,663
Fishburne:
Without a DNA match,
877
00:37:55,682 --> 00:37:57,515
the case remains unsolved.
878
00:37:57,667 --> 00:37:59,667
♪ ♪
879
00:37:59,686 --> 00:38:01,927
- Unfortunately,
a lot of the evidence
880
00:38:01,947 --> 00:38:04,506
was later thrown out
or destroyed.
881
00:38:04,524 --> 00:38:06,007
♪ ♪
882
00:38:06,100 --> 00:38:07,450
The cigarettes, the suitcase,
883
00:38:07,602 --> 00:38:10,845
and perhaps the most important
thing that's missing
884
00:38:10,864 --> 00:38:14,015
is the Somerton man's copy
of the "Rubáiyát."
885
00:38:14,034 --> 00:38:16,609
- If we had this copy
of this book,
886
00:38:16,628 --> 00:38:19,129
we might be able
to run DNA testing on it.
887
00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:24,301
We might be able to find new
information inside the pages.
888
00:38:24,528 --> 00:38:27,620
But ultimately,
that evidence is gone now.
889
00:38:27,639 --> 00:38:29,881
Fishburne: If Abbott
and his family and the public
890
00:38:30,033 --> 00:38:33,368
have any chance of closure
on the Somerton Man case,
891
00:38:33,386 --> 00:38:37,221
the only way forward
is to exhume the body.
892
00:38:37,374 --> 00:38:40,132
- The people of Australia
want an answer.
893
00:38:40,226 --> 00:38:41,709
Who was the Somerton Man?
894
00:38:41,728 --> 00:38:45,488
So the stakes are high
to get this solved.
895
00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:48,383
- Now that Rachel and I are
together and we have a family,
896
00:38:48,401 --> 00:38:50,327
it kind of illustrates
the importance
897
00:38:50,554 --> 00:38:53,312
of finding the DNA
of the Somerton Man.
898
00:38:53,332 --> 00:38:56,148
If his DNA shows
that he's a Russian,
899
00:38:56,168 --> 00:38:59,652
maybe that will bring the
spy theory back alive again.
900
00:38:59,671 --> 00:39:01,487
If he's unrelated to us,
901
00:39:01,506 --> 00:39:04,657
it gives some other family
some closure
902
00:39:04,676 --> 00:39:06,843
and connect him back
to his family.
903
00:39:06,994 --> 00:39:09,070
And if he is
somehow related to us,
904
00:39:09,089 --> 00:39:11,406
it will also give us closure.
905
00:39:11,424 --> 00:39:14,409
♪ ♪
906
00:39:14,427 --> 00:39:17,412
- Investigation into
this mystery is continuing.
907
00:39:17,430 --> 00:39:20,673
The Somerton Man's body
was exhumed in May 2021
908
00:39:20,692 --> 00:39:25,695
in Australia,
and DNA analysis is ongoing.
909
00:39:25,847 --> 00:39:30,033
Even if Rachel Egan is the
Somerton Man's granddaughter,
910
00:39:30,184 --> 00:39:32,351
it doesn't fully answer
what happened
911
00:39:32,445 --> 00:39:36,373
on November 30th, 1948.
912
00:39:36,524 --> 00:39:39,859
But proving the link
between the man and Jo Thomson
913
00:39:39,878 --> 00:39:45,030
could be a crucial step
in finally closing this case.
914
00:39:45,125 --> 00:39:46,716
I'm Laurence Fishburne.
915
00:39:46,868 --> 00:39:50,778
Thank you for watching
"History's Greatest Mysteries."
916
00:39:50,797 --> 00:39:55,225
♪ ♪